The invention relates to a sling for carrying a weapon, particularly a rifle or shotgun. The weapon sling of the invention has an ergonomically curved strap that conforms to the contours of the user's body. The ergonomic curvature of the weapon sling allows the user to comfortably carry the weapon, and reduces the tendency of the sling to slip off the shoulder of the user. In addition to carrying the weapon, the sling can be used in an aiming position in which the curvature of the strap conforms to the upper arm of the user in order to provide additional stability while aiming and firing the weapon, resulting in greater shooting accuracy.
A variety of prior art weapon slings have been developed to provide a means for conveniently carrying a weapon. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,558 discloses a gun sling which allows the firearm to be retained suspended from the shoulder without sliding off while the associated arm and hand are otherwise engaged. The gun sling of the '558 patent utilizes an auxiliary strap in conjunction with the sling's primary strap. However, such a two strap design is more expensive to produce, and is relatively cumbersome for the user to put on and remove. It is important that a weapon sling be easily removable in the event the user suddenly spots a fast moving target and time is of the essence. Therefore, a two strap design, such as the one disclosed in the '558 patent, can be problematic. Furthermore, the weight displacement brought about by the weapons attachment to the primary strap would continuously pull the auxiliary strap toward the primary strap, causing the auxiliary strap to uncomfortably wedge against the neck of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,357,363 discloses a gun sling which can be used to aid the user in aiming and firing the weapon by cradling the triceps and elbow of the arm holding the weapon's forearm. The gun sling uses a D-ring to create an adjustable loop in the sling into which the user's upper arm can be inserted. The loop is then tightened around the upper arm. Such a design is significantly more complicated and cumbersome than the present invention.
In an effort to overcome and eliminate the aforementioned problems, the present invention was conceived.